Inside Out
by sneakybg91
Summary: Mel goes for an innocent hike with her best friend, and ends up caught in the middle something she could never have expected- a vampire war.
1. Chapter One: Rainy Days and Mondays

(A/N): This story is (re)titled "Inside Out", based on the CD by Emmy Rossum. As I was writing this story, I realized that all the songs coincided with the different chapters! So I decided to name each chapter after a song on the CD that went with it.

**Chapter One… Rainy Days and Mondays**

"Funny but it seems I always wind up here with you. Nice to know somebody loves me. Funny but it seems it's the only thing to do. Run and find the one who loves me."

…

It all started with one of those "in the wrong place at the wrong time" situations.

My boyfriend Josh had left Forks for the University of Oregon the day before, and I was feeling a little lonely, so I took my best friend Chelsea, who I lovingly referred to as "Ace", camping for what was supposed to be a week in the mountains.

"Do you even know where we're going?" Ace called out from a few feet behind me. She held out an unfolded map and twisted it side to side as we walked up the mountain. "This map… is defective." She grumbled.

"I most certainly know where we're going. I don't even need a map. I just feel it." I smiled, hopping over a log like it was a pebble. "From the spot I'm going to take you to, you can see the entire valley. It's beautiful at sundown."

I bounded up the last hill at top speed, the light rain whipping at my face. And then there it was- the beautiful place Josh and I had spent many nights star gazing. It was a large, open area at the top of the mountain, and our fire pit we'd created from loose rocks and brush was sitting, untouched. It was going to be amazing.

"Hurry up, Ace!" I cheered. I tossed my bag next to my feet and sprinted toward the other end. I could hear some kind of raucous going on from beyond the edge, so I inched up.

As I reached the edge, my heart skipped a beat. There were people down in the meadow. There were probably forty or fifty total, all running _far_ too fast, fighting each other. Not to mention, there were ENORMOUS wolves. And they were mauling each other.

I could hear Ace finally catching up, her slow footsteps crunching across the rocks behind me.

"Ace, STOP." I growled. "Do _not_ come over here."

She stopped at the tone of my voice. "What's wrong? Do you need the rope? Is the edge crumbling?" she said slowly.

"NO." I said in a hushed tone. "We need to go back. Right now. There's some kind of… fight going on down there. And it's not fight to win, it's fight to kill. There are so many people…" I trailed off, fear filling my voice. "We have to go before they find us. We might be next."

Her face turned pale white. "Oh my God."

"Go! Right now!" I spat at her.

"You're coming, right?" she cried, terror breaking her voice.

"I'll be right behind you. I'm going to get pictures for proof. And identification."

"I don't like this, Mel-"

"Go now, damn it!" I hissed. "Be safe! Love you!"

"I love you, too. You're my best friend."I waited for her to disappear from sight before I walked to the edge with my digital camera. I stood near a large rock and started aiming and clicking.

"Oh shit," I whispered over and over as I snapped the photos.

Then I zoomed in on a hand crawling by itself. It wasn't connected to anything. Just… creeping along on its own. Then the hand crawled past something. My camera took a moment to focus, but when it did, I had to stifle a scream. Two of the people caught in battle were engaged in a fist fight. But the guy with the bright blonde hair swiped his mouth across the other's neck, and his head snapped completely off, like a piece of rock crumbling away from a boulder.

I dropped my camera and fell to my knees, my stomach lurching. I puked on the grass, narrowly missing my camera. I shook violently with terror.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" a sinister voice trilled out behind me.

My whole body jerked in the direction of the voice.

A young boy in strange, old clothes stood fifty feet away, arms crossed. He was staring at me intently.

"Those people," I cried, "They're-"

"Winning, surprisingly." He smiled.

The way he smiled… it both scared and excited me.

"But they're… not…" I fumbled for words as I felt the bile rise in my throat again as I recalled the image of a head being pulled from its body.

"Not human?" he glared at me, and I noticed his eyes for the first time. They were blood red.

I knew from the way this boy stood that he was a killer. And he knew what was going on down in the meadow. I needed to plead my case if I was going to get out of here alive. "I'll destroy the photos. I-I-I'll forget what I saw!" I pleaded. "Please don't-"

"Don't beg for mercy, Mel." He said, suddenly irritated. "It's unbecoming of you."

"How do you know my name?" I tried to stand, and failed as my legs gave out.

"I've been following you since you started up the mountain. You're just so… appealing."

"Um, I have a boyfriend." I choked out, masking the fear that overcame me after hearing that he'd been following me.

He laughed. "Physically attractive? Perhaps, yes. But I was referring to your delicious scent." He grinned again.

"Huh?"

"Alec," a young girl, almost too similar looking, appeared next to him. She, too, had piercing red eyes. "I said, 'Grab a bite while we wait', not 'play with your food'."

_A bite_?

…

….

…..

OH.

MY.

GOD.

It made sense. The eyes, the speed, the strength, and the thing about my "scent". Her quirk about a "bite" made everything so very clear.

"You're… vampires!" I gasped, unable to control myself.

The boy gleamed. "So smart."

"So dead." The girl took another step closer and the look on her face terrified me.

"Please," I begged, holding my hands in defense before my face.

"Jane, NO." the boy named Alec snapped. "You'll give us away, with her screaming. Go wait with Felix and Demetri- I won't be long."

She gritted her jaw, took a short, angry breath, and walked back out of sight. She could hunt anyone in these woods…

Oh no! _Ace_… I prayed to God she made it to safety. My attention diverted as Alec approached me.

"Now," he said, slowly pulling off the black leather gloves he wore, "How shall we do this?"


	2. Chapter Two: The Great Divide

_A/N: I know this is a very short chapter, but I thought that Mel has so much ahead of her in the future, I shouldn't dwell too much on the "present"_

**

* * *

Chapter Two… The Great Divide**

"_Reach across the great divide, see the war behind your eyes. Finally slow the racing clock. Try so hard to make it stop."_

_

* * *

Think, Mel, think!_

I bore through my frantic thoughts, searching for a plan. He was close enough to touch. _Do I scream for help? There's no one visible nearby to help, and if I screamed, he'd probably kill me on the spot._

_Hmm…_

His curious eyes stared straight into mine.

"Why?" he whispered, taking a piece of my hair in between his fingers.

"What?" I said, glancing down at his fingers. If they were anything as strong as the hands that were down in the meadow, he could rip me apart right now.

"I have to go." He said, letting go of my hair. "But DO NOT leave this spot until I return. Do you understand? If you leave, I will find you. And you will regret it. Here is a warning." He glared at me and grabbed my wrist.

I didn't even feel him squeeze. The bones in my wrist shattered. I screamed violently, but his ice cold hand covered my mouth before anyone heard.

"Stay, and you will be spared. Leave, and die." He whispered.

He laid me on the ground. The pain from my wrist was so intense that my vision was fading. I could barely speak my name, let alone scream in pain.

I heard another crunch. But it sounded like plastic and metal. _My camera_.

"Stay, Mel."

He disappeared, and I passed out.

* * *

When I came back into consciousness, my body was on fire.

I couldn't open my eyes, but I was pretty sure my lungs were on fire. The entire length of my body was scorching, burning, charring. Plus, my heart was pounding so hard it was fluttering.

"Selfish, that's what you are." Someone snapped.

The moment I thought of who it might be, a loud scream forced its way between my lips. I couldn't focus on anything except holding in my pain.

"Well, Alec. She's out of the dark. Now we wait."

"Why did I have to bring her out of it, Master?"

It was the boy from the mountain.

"A lesson. A comparison, perhaps. That there are things in our world worse than the transformation."

"But-" he protested.

"Shut up, Alec. Or I'll burn you." It was the scary girl.

"You'd never."

"And I never thought you'd take some stupid human home with you."

"Don't mess with me, Jane. We are unchanging physically, but our emotions aren't permanent. Who ever said I wouldn't want someone?"

The burn began to recede to my heart.

I laid there, holding in my screams.

_ It was silent for… was it hours? Who could tell?_

Finally, my heartbeat was so fast it was all I could hear.

And then, POW. A burst of heat through my body, and my skin wasn't burning anymore.

I was aware of everything. My eyes fluttered open, and I smiled.


	3. Chapter Three: Slow Me Down

**Chapter Three… Slow Me Down

* * *

**

"_My head and my heart are colliding- chaotic. Pace of the world, I just wish I could stop it. Try to appear like I've got it together, I'm falling apart."

* * *

_

I'd never understood the idea of High Definition until my eyes searched the ceiling above me. I saw every nook and cranny, every crack in the white, aged plaster, every brush stroke on the angelic mural in the center.

I sat up, which seemed to happen instantly with my thoughts.

_What happened to me_?

_But firstly, where am I?_

The thoughts flew through my mind faster than the speed of light. This place had me going so fast I could hardly realize it. But instead of being confused and hazy, I was completely conscious to every single thought I had.

The room I was sitting in was a large Tuscany villa-esque bedroom with open windows, high ceilings and dark wooden furniture everywhere.

Then I remembered Alec.

_The vampire._

_OH SHIT!_ It clicked almost instantly. _I_ was a vampire now.

The instant thought-to-actions, the thoughts racing faster than they ever had before, the amazing eye-sight… _I wonder if I'm just as strong as the ones in the meadow_?

I hopped onto the floor, taking a deep breath. It was hollow, unsatisfying, like after a hot day on the beach, you grab your water bottle for a cool drink of water and it's hot from sitting in your car all day.

I surveyed myself. I was wearing a black hooded robe- similar to what Alec had been wearing. Ceremonial, almost.

_Crap_. _Am I gonna be inducted into some cult?_ Because monotone track suits and asexual haircuts wouldn't look very good on me…

And suddenly, a voice rang in my ears as if the person were standing right next to me.

"She's awake, Alec. I can hear her moving around in there."

"Thank you, Demetri."

The sound of the door opening rang crystal in my ears.

"Mel." The sound of the man's voice was unfamiliar, harsh.

My lips peeled away from my teeth, and a furious snarl ripped through the air. My mind screamed, _what are you doing snarling at someone, you freak?_

Alec and an older man entered the room. The older man had long, dark hair and piercing red eyes. He was staring at me intently.

I was crouched down, ready to strike.

"Calm, Mel." Alec pleaded. "And we will explain."

I stood up and glared at them viciously. _What had they done to me_?

"You turned me-" I clapped a hand across my throat. I sounded… wrong. _Perfect_. So gentle compared to my snarl.

"Yes, I did." Alec nodded. "There are a lot of things that are different for you now. If you'll come with me, I'll show you."

I eyed the other man suspiciously. Suddenly, a deep burn erupted down my throat. I swallowed painfully on reflect and the other man smiled, nodding. My throat was on fire. I wanted to swallow a million gallons of water. _No, not water._

"Dear child," the man cooed, "Some of us have special gifts. Attributes we brought with us from our human lives that manifested as… well, powers." He pulled a pale hand out from the large robe's sleeve and held it out toward me.

I reacted, jumping back a step or two.

"Dear, Mel, do forgive me. I am Aro, and my talent is that I can know every thought you've ever had be a single touch. But the person must be conscious for it to work. To get to know you and your situation better, I'd like to take your hand for a moment."

I swallowed again, taking the slowest and possibly the last step I'd ever take.

I held out my hand slowly, prepared to retract it at any time.

The instant our skin touched, I felt like my privacy had been betrayed. This man knew every thought, every memory, every secret I'd ever had. He now knew when I'd lost my virginity, when I'd cheated on a test my senior year of high school, all the things I'd never told anyone- except Ace, of course.

The process took a minute or two, which was quite long when your thoughts worked by milliseconds.

Finally, he pulled his hand away and took a step back.

"Amélie Rhymes, you have done many things during your short 18 years as a human. But you are one of us now, and you have a world of vast opportunities in your grasp. I want you to dig deep down and tell me what you want most in the entire universe. It'll be yours."

I thought for a moment. _To be human again?_ No, perhaps not. Life couldn't possibly just be given back.

_Ace?_ But what if she'd been killed? It might kill _me_. Better she be alive and enjoying life, or me being oblivious. She was a strong girl, but how could I take away her choice to live? That was most unfair.

And then my primal desire took over.

_I wanted blood._

"Blood." My lips moved before I could finalize or rationalize my decision.

A wicked grin spread across his face. "Well, then. Follow us. I'm sure we'll have something."

He spoke as if people were simply objects for their purposes.

I felt like this terrible person to want to drain someone of their blood. Every person has a family, a life… could I really take that away?

Aro held out his arm. "I want you to know a little more before we leave. Myself, Caius, and Marcus are the leaders of our kind."

I didn't know what to do. _Should I bow_?

"Come along, Amélie."

I gave up and slide my pale arm around his.

My footsteps were light, graceful, and practically silent as we made our way down the secluded hallway.

All of my senses had been intensified, including my sense of smell. There was a scent for everything, even the air I sucked in out of habit. But what surprised me was that I smelled blood. I could smell it very, very faintly in the vampires around me, but it was much stronger from below the floor. Fresh, pumping, warm blood.

My throat flared with pain. My body stiffened, and I inhaled the delicious liquid in a frenzy.

Aro and Alec had a hold of my arms within a second.

I was prepared to fight them off, to pull their limbs off like the other vampires I'd seen in the field.

But then something odd happened.

"Control your pet." A sharp, harsh female voice spat from down the hall.

My reactions surprised even me. I wasn't afraid of her at all. In fact, I broke their grip and ran in the opposite direction than the blood- straight at Jane.

I fought a smile as a look of panic covered her face for a moment. She stared at me intently, as if her stare alone could stop me.

I snarled, throwing her against the wall. The concrete crumbled under the force.

"Demetri! Felix!" Alec shouted behind me.

I held her against the wall by her throat.

"You better not have killed my friend." I snarled. "Or I'll come for you."

And then I was thrown backward, held to the floor by two pairs of rock-hard hands.

"Been a while since you actually had to fight your own battles, eh, sis?" Alec jeered, "Felix, escort the girl down to her meal. No stopping along the way."

I was hauled to my feet and dragged away from the glaring girl.

As I was leaving, my new super-hearing picked up on a short, but important conversation.

"She was unaffected by Jane's gift."

"Yes, Master. Will this be to our advantage?"

"As long as she isn't educated on the wrong things. Tell her what she needs to know to survive here. But make sure we avoid certain topics. Like the Cullens."

"Yes, Master."

That was the day I figured out who the Cullens really were.


End file.
